During October, Fire Prevention Month, Flossmoor schoolchildren are learning how to better protect their homes and families from fire catastrophes.
Flossmoor fire personnel are promoting safety education by visiting seven local schools and also taking students on fire station tours. Ethan Stratman, the fire department’s public education officer, said approximately 1,100 students, both at public and private schools, will hear the safety message this month.
“Our hope is to prevent emergencies before they happen through education of all ages,” he said, adding that more than 100 school personnel, teachers and staff members, will also get the fire safety message.
“By doing this we hope to help develop safe habits these children can carry with them throughout their lives,” said Stratman, who is also a Flossmoor EMS.
“In addition, we are using children to indirectly influence the community’s adult population to have safer habits. By motivating the children, and giving them a memorable experience with our fire department, we believe they are more likely to go home and pass along information to adult family members.”
Fire personnel are hoping that their safety message becomes part of school lesson plans following their visit.
Stratman said the Flossmoor department has been approached by a local assisted living facility and is scheduling a date for fire personnel to provide safety education to some of its residents. Lesson plans will have to be adapted to make up for the age difference, he said, but will likely include information on how to prevent injuries from slips and falls.
The Flossmoor Fire Department is also providing American Heart Association CPR classes. Three classes are scheduled in October, including one large group presentation at a local church. The department offers CPR certification for the general public and healthcare providers, as well as automated defibrillator training. The training is designed to teach members of the general public how to resuscitate victims of full cardiac arrest.
CPR classes are available to the public on request. Interested persons can also call the department for fire station tours. The fire department’s phone number is 708-798-3885.
Stratman said the department is committed to building a “culture of safety” and that the Fire Prevention Month activities are helping accomplish that goal.